By Lene Andersen. Health care writer, RA and disability advocate, wheelchair user and camera nut. Author of Your Life with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Tools for Managing Treatment, Side Effects and Pain

Friday, December 31, 2010

Accomplishments

It is my habit to write something thoughtful and pondering - although hopefully not ponderous - on the last day of the year, sort of summing up the theme of the past 12 months. This year, however, it could be argued that I've already done that - early this month, I wrote about finally getting to that place in my personal growth where instead of mindlessly keeping going, not only did I protect myself from harm, but I also felt good about it. Alison, wise as usual, wished me a happy new year in a comment on that post and she was absolutely right. Because the theme of this year has been finally learning that sometimes, not doing is the right thing to do. I'm not crazy enough to believe that this one won’t need learning over and over again, but the fact that I finally got there, after years of talking about it but never quite figuring out how to click from theory of it to the practice of redirecting the fierce is my big accomplishment of 2010.

And so, what do you do when you already written your New Year's post and are sitting by your computer with a shoulder that's bitching because it's been used quite a bit in the past week? You act again upon this miraculous thing that you have learned and stop.

But not quite yet.

I could not have learned this without you. You reading this blog, leaving comments with your take on things, sharing your experiences, comments that make me think, push me to consider new angles or stop me from hiding from a truth I need to process in order to move on in the journey have helped more than paying a therapist. Without you, I would not be where I am - we are each other's friends, support group and private cheerleading squad. I love the Internet and. I’m forever grateful that you're out there.

And I'm also curious, because this is not a one-sided conversation, so I'm wondering…

What is your big accomplishment of 2010?

I hope you all have a wonderful evening and that next year will treat you well, keep you healthy, make you laugh and nourish your personal growth. See you next year!

11 comments:

Very similar to yours. Finally 'under-doing' for a long enough period of time to begin to feel and see the rewards of not 'over-doing'. This year I became incredibly more productive than the year before, by simply attempting less. It gave me times of health, when I was able to grow my pattern business, write book reviews, and spend time, good, quality time with Oscar.Because he had fewer times he felt he needed to take care of and worry over me, he had a better year too.Next year, I hope to do more by attempting less, and perhaps get my book(s) started.I also will be challenging myself to the 365 photos on 365 days, challenging because I only leave the house about once a week, so my field of subjects is a bit confined LOL.I will be glad of clutter by July, I bet!

I didn't kill one single person this year, and given the number of times I wanted to, I think that's a huge accomplishment.Love you, dearie, here's to more good and less bad and the wisdom to appreciate both for what they are.

Haven't quite accomplished it yet, but I'm beginning to feel self-employed. And that feeling is helping me regard my work with more worth. May not be much yet, some weaving, some knitting and hopefully, something really big in the coming year.

This is going to sound funny, but my big accomplishment of this year is to stop being addicted to fretting. I have finally (!!) learned to stop the hamsters in my brain before they really get going, and as a result, among many other things - I can sleep! My resolution for this year: to stop thinking that just because I can do something, I should.

My children's increasing academic, musical, and extracurricular success. I am also talking to them a lot, just in case, not waiting to tell them life lessons they need to know (like no academic/career success is worth it if you're unhappy, what to look for/exclude in a mate, etc., financial advice). And spending a lot of time with them.

Thank you, Lene, for being willing to share so much of yourself and making our worlds better.Now get better!

My happiest part of 2010 could only be my born-last-week (was it really only last week?!) first grandchild. Soon I get to go see him in person; every new mother needs her own mom first and foremost, and I'm glad my DIL has such a close relationship with hers.

The more mundane part of this past year is that I spent a huge amount of time for much of the year putting aside what my goals had been in order to do what I thought, when asked to help, was going to be a few hours a week of volunteer work. It grew and took over and devoured nearly everything, both my time and my flaring, overstressed hands, and thanklessly so, I'm afraid, on the part of the woman in charge.

I learned a lot, it was the chance of a lifetime, but it's time to go back to my own life.

My biggest accomplishment was to be able to finally let go of my anger, to finally be able to make peace with myself. In doing so i have been able to regain my health and happiness. My relationships have improved dramatically. And i hope to continue this in 2011.

I accomplished becoming a happier person, although I think that aging has something to do with it. I care less about what other people think of me and more of what I think. That, somehow, has freed me up to just generally be a nicer person. I think it's easier to like others if you like yourself first. Happy New Year!!